FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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- CSUSB will award In Memoriam (Posthumous) an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters to Santos Manuel, founding leader of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.
- The announcement was made during the grand opening ceremonies of the Santos Manuel Student Union Complex North.
- The SMSU North is a three-story, 120,000 square-foot, $90 million expansion of the Santos Manuel Student Union complex, which is one of the largest building complexes in the California State University system named after an indigenous leader or elder.
- Santos Manuel is revered as a visionary man who arose in the darkest hour of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians through extraordinary leadership, ensuring the survival of their ancestors and the Tribe.
- The SMSU is a 501(c)3 and is funded by student fees.
California State University, San Bernardino announced today that Santos Manuel the founding leader of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians will receive an In Memoriam (Posthumous) Honorary Doctorate at its spring commencement, scheduled for May 20.
The announcement was made by CSUSB President Tomás D. Morales during the grand opening ceremonies of the Santos Manuel Student Union North, a three-story, 120,000 square-foot, $90 million expansion of the Santos Manuel Student Union complex, which is one of the largest building complexes in the 23-campus California State University System named after an indigenous elder and leader.
“I am pleased to publicly announce that the Board of Trustees of the California State University and CSUSB will be honoring Santos Manuel with an In Memoriam, or posthumous, honorary doctorate in humane letters at our spring commencement exercises,” Morales told the more than 500 in attendance of the grand opening. “I am grateful that we can lift up his name in this way through the highest honor available in the CSU.”
Earlier, Morales had said that that conferring an honorary doctorate upon Santos Manuel in recognition of his profound impact and in honor of his family’s ancestral legacy is especially appropriate to CSUSB.
“As an anchor institution in the region, we would be remiss not to recognize his long-lasting contributions to the Tribal communities in Inland Southern California,” Morales said. “We can think of few others who best exemplify our region's, state's and nation’s most distinguished leaders and humanitarians, individuals whose efforts have transcended the ordinary and made a remarkable impact on the lives of generations of people.”
